The classification, origin, and evolutionary dynamics of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus circulating in East Asia.

The classification of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) lacked consistency due to limited virus sequences used across previous studies, and the origin and transmission dynamics of the SFTSV remains not fully understood. In this study, we analyzed the diversity and phylodynamics of SFTSV using the most comprehensive and largest dataset publicly available for a better understanding of SFTSV classification and transmission. A total of 1267 L segments, 1289 M segments, and 1438 S segments collected from China, South Korea, and Japan were included in this study.

Data-driven prediction on critical mechanical properties of engineered cementitious composites based on machine learning.

The present study introduces a novel approach utilizing machine learning techniques to predict the crucial mechanical properties of engineered cementitious composites (ECCs), spanning from typical to exceptionally high strength levels. These properties, including compressive strength, flexural strength, tensile strength, and tensile strain capacity, can not only be predicted but also precisely estimated. The investigation encompassed a meticulous compilation and examination of 1532 datasets sourced from pertinent research.

Associations between perceived and actual risk of HIV infection and HIV prevention services uptake among men who have sex with men in Shandong province, China: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Associations between perceived and actual risk of HIV infection and HIV prevention services uptake are inconclusive. This study aimed to evaluate the discrepancy between the perceived and actual HIV risk, and quantify the associations between perceived and actual risk of HIV infection and three HIV prevention services utilization among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Shandong province, China.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Shandong province in June 2021.

Effect of Polyoxymethylene Fiber on the Mechanical Properties and Abrasion Resistance of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete.

It is necessary to prepare marine UHPC with synthetic fibers instead of steel fibers, owing to the corrosion risk of steel fibers in marine environments. Currently, the performance of UHPC prepared with different types of fibers has not been comparatively investigated. This work prepared UHPC with steel fiber, polyoxymethylene (POM) fiber, polypropylene (PP) fiber, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber.

Digital, Crowdsourced, Multilevel Intervention to Promote HIV Testing Among Men Who Have Sex With Men: Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Despite great efforts in HIV prevention worldwide, HIV testing uptake among men who have sex with men (MSM) remains suboptimal. The effectiveness of digital, crowdsourced, multilevel interventions in improving HIV testing is still unclear.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a digital, crowdsourced, multilevel intervention in improving HIV testing uptake among MSM in China.

High Sensitivity Temperature Sensing of Long-Period Fiber Grating for the Ocean.

In this study, a new temperature sensor with high sensitivity was achieved by four-layer Ge and B co-doped long-period fiber grating (LPFG) based on the mode coupling principle. By analyzing the mode conversion, the influence of the surrounding refractive index (SRI), the thickness and the refractive index of the film on the sensitivity of the sensor is studied. When 10 nm-thick titanium dioxide (TiO) film is coated on the surface of the bare LPFG, the refractive index sensitivity of the sensor can be initially improved.

Projecting future risk of dengue related to hydrometeorological conditions in mainland China under climate change scenarios: a modelling study.

Background: We have limited knowledge on the impact of hydrometeorological conditions on dengue incidence in China and its associated disease burden in a future with a changed climate. This study projects the excess risk of dengue caused by climate change-induced hydrometeorological conditions across mainland China.

Methods: In this modelling study, the historical association between the Palmer drought severity index (PDSI) and dengue was estimated with a spatiotemporal Bayesian hierarchical model from 70 cities.

The patterns and driving forces of dengue invasions in China.

Background: Global connectivity and environmental change pose continuous threats to dengue invasions from worldwide to China. However, the intrinsic relationship on introduction and outbreak risks of dengue driven by the landscape features are still unknown. This study aimed to map the patterns on source-sink relation of dengue cases and assess the driving forces for dengue invasions in China.

Association Between Hydrological Conditions and Dengue Fever Incidence in Coastal Southeastern China From 2013 to 2019.

Importance: Dengue fever is a climate-sensitive infectious disease. However, its association with local hydrological conditions and the role of city development remain unclear.

Objective: To quantify the association between hydrological conditions and dengue fever incidence in China and to explore the modification role of city development in this association.

OCT based four-dimensional cardiac imaging of a living chick embryo using an impedance signal as a gating for post-acquisition synchronization.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive imaging modality with high spatial resolution suitable for early embryonic heart imaging. However, the most commonly used OCT systems cannot provide direct 4-D imaging due to acquisition speed limitations. We proposed a retrospective gating 4-D reconstruction method based on spectral domain OCT.

Alcohol consumption and utilization of HIV prevention services among men who have casual sex with women in China.

Men who have casual sex with women (MCSW) have played an important role in HIV new infections in China. Research studies have shown that heavy alcohol consumption can increase the risk of HIV infection. The cross-sectional study was conducted in two cities in China from December 2018 to May 2019 to examine the association between alcohol consumption and utilization of HIV prevention services among MCSW.

Short-term effects of tropical cyclones on the incidence of dengue: a time-series study in Guangzhou, China.

Background: Limited evidence is available about the association between tropical cyclones and dengue incidence. This study aimed to examine the effects of tropical cyclones on the incidence of dengue and to explore the vulnerable populations in Guangzhou, China.

Methods: Weekly dengue case data, tropical cyclone and meteorological data during the tropical cyclones season (June to October) from 2015 to 2019 were collected for the study.

Enhancement of Mechanical and Bond Properties of Epoxy Adhesives Modified by SiO Nanoparticles with Active Groups.

In order to improve the mechanical and bond properties of epoxy adhesives for their wide scope of applications, modified epoxy adhesives were produced in this study with SiO nanoparticles of 20 nm in size, including inactive groups, NH active groups, and CH active groups. The mechanical properties of specimens were examined, and an investigation was conducted into the effects of epoxy adhesive modified by three kinds of SiO nanoparticles on the bond properties of carbon fiber reinforced polymer and steel (CFRP/steel) double lap joints. According to scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the distribution effect in epoxy adhesive of SiO nanoparticles modified by active groups was better than that of inactive groups.

The association between tropical cyclones and dengue fever in the Pearl River Delta, China during 2013-2018: A time-stratified case-crossover study.

Background: Studies have shown that tropical cyclones are associated with several infectious diseases, while very few evidence has demonstrated the relationship between tropical cyclones and dengue fever. This study aimed to examine the potential impact of tropical cyclones on dengue fever incidence in the Pearl River Delta, China.

Methods: Data on daily dengue fever incidence, occurrence of tropical cyclones and meteorological factors were collected between June and October, 2013-2018 from nine cities in the Pearl River Delta.

Lubricin-Inspired Loop Zwitterionic Peptide for Fabrication of Superior Antifouling Surfaces.

Biofouling represents great challenges in many applications, and zwitterionic peptides have been a promising candidate due to their biocompatibility and excellent antifouling performance. Inspired by lubricin, we designed a loop-like zwitterionic peptide and investigated the effect of conformation (linear or loop) on the antifouling properties using a combination of surface plasma resonance (SPR), surface force apparatus (SFA), and all atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulation techniques. Our results demonstrate that the loop-like zwitterionic peptides perform better in resisting the adsorption of proteins and bacteria.

Effect of Hydrophobicity and Charge Separation on the Antifouling Properties of Surface-Tethered Zwitterionic Peptides.

Zwitterionic peptides emerge as a class of highly effective antifouling material in a wide range of applications such as biosensors, biomedical devices, and implants. We incorporated neutral amino acid spacers with different hydrophobicities, including serine (Ser), glycine (Gly), and leucine (Leu), into zwitterionic peptides with lysine-glutamic acid repeating units and investigated the structure and antifouling performance of the zwitterionic peptide brushes by surface plasma resonance, surface force apparatus (SFA), and all-atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulation techniques. Our results demonstrate that the hydrophilicity of neutral spacers alters the structure and antifouling performance of the peptide-modified surface.

Xanthomonas effector XopR hijacks host actin cytoskeleton via complex coacervation.

The intrinsically disordered region (IDR) is a preserved signature of phytobacterial type III effectors (T3Es). The T3E IDR is thought to mediate unfolding during translocation into the host cell and to avoid host defense by sequence diversification. Here, we demonstrate a mechanism of host subversion via the T3E IDR.

Solidification of municipal solid waste incineration fly ash and immobilization of heavy metals using waste glass in alkaline activation system.

Hazardous heavy metals in Municipal Solid Waste Incineration (MSWI) fly ash are a threat to the environment and ecosystems. The objective of the work is to investigate the solidification of MSWI fly ash and the immobilization of the heavy metals through alkaline activation reaction with waste glass as an additive. Compressive strength measurement, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Si nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (Si NMR) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were performed to evaluate the solidification effect and characterize the microstructure of alkali-activated MSWI fly ash-based mortars.

The mediated effect of HIV risk perception in the relationship between peer education and HIV testing uptake among three key populations in China.

Background: Peer education and HIV risk perception are related to HIV testing uptake among key populations. We aimed to examine the association between peer education, HIV risk perception, and HIV testing uptake, as well as to evaluate the mediated effect of HIV risk perception in the relationship between peer education and HIV testing uptake.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 1188 HIV-uninfected or unknown participants from populations of men who have sex with men (MSM), female sex workers (FSWs), and drug users (DUs) in seven cities of China.

Synergistic effect of polystyrene nanoplastics and contaminants on the promotion of insulin fibrillation.

Nanoplastics (NPs) are becoming an emerging pollutant of global concern. A potential risk of NPs is that they can serve as carriers and synergistically function with other contaminants to cause diseases. A variety of diseases such as Alzheimer's disease are related to the generation of amyloid fibrils, and insulin is typically used as a model to study the fibrillation process.

Digital crowdsourced intervention to promote HIV testing among MSM in China: study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Background: Men who have sex with men (MSM) are an important HIV key population in China. However, HIV testing rates among MSM remain suboptimal. Digital crowdsourced media interventions may be a useful tool to reach this marginalized population.

The Evolution of Residual Stress in Rib-Diaphragm Joints of Orthotropic Steel Decks Subjected to Thermal Cutting and Welding.

Residual stresses change the stress ratio of fluctuating stresses, hence seriously affect the fatigue life of orthotropic steel decks (OSDs) under traffic loading. Residual stress distributions near the U rib-diaphragm joints are very complicated and need to be investigated further. In this paper, a systematic method has been proposed for calculating the residual stress field in the joint of U rib and diaphragm due to thermal cutting and welding.

Nontoxic Black Phosphorus Quantum Dots Inhibit Insulin Amyloid Fibrillation at an Ultralow Concentration.

Amyloid are protein aggregates formed by cross β structures assemblies. Inhibiting amyloid aggregation or facilitating its disassembly are considered to be two major effective therapeutic strategies in diseases involving peptide or protein fibrillation such Alzheimer's disease or diabetes. Using thioflavin-T fluorescence, far-UV circular dichroism spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy, we found nontoxic and biocompatible black phosphorus quantum dots (BPQDs) appear to have an exceptional capacity to inhibit insulin aggregation and to disassemble formed mature fibrils, even at an ultralow concentration (100 ng/mL).